International Service Director:

Group Study Exchange (GSE): Neil Ott - Chair

The GSE program hosts adult professional teams from foreign lands in order to assist and share in the exchange of knowledge and culture. This program also sends an American team to foreign countries in order to assist the needy and spread Rotarian goodwill.

This year, we will be hosting two incoming groups in the Spring of 2006. The groups are from India and Brazil. If you are interested in hosting a team member or would like more information on the visits, contact Kim.

Matching and District Simplified Grants: Jean Works - Chair

Provides funding for world community service projects. This committee can also partner with other local, district, and/or national and international clubs in order to provide needed supplies and equipment to foreign countries. In the past years we have supported projects such as assisting in the funding of a much needed medical mobile van to diagnose tuberculosis in rural areas of India, a fire truck in Argentina, a washing machine to an orphanage in Mexico and eyeglasses to the impoverished in Mexico. This year we are looking again to Mexico in assisting the orphanage in Baja and a project in San Felipe.

Rotary Foundation: Martha Bennett - Chair

The foundation supports the mission of Rotary International toward the achievement of world understanding and peace through local, national, and international humanitarian, educational, and cultural programs. Such programs are largely self-help in nature an concentrated on health care, literacy and education. Our club is a firm believer in the Foundation and what it accomplishes. We believe in it so strongly that we have been the #1 Club in per capita giving in the District for 7 years.

Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA): Dan Mathews - Chair
Members: Sherry Butler, Dan Mathews, Mike McAndrew

The purpose of RYLA is to recognize and develop young leaders. Scholarships are offered to high school age students from throughout the District. Each Club can sponsor more than one delegate. A three to four day Leadership Camp is then held annually, utilizing volunteer Rotarians to create the staff. A core of this camp is also the attendance of all the current foreign exchange students being hosted throughout the District, representing at least twelve different countries. Working together to bridge the goodwill and better understanding of other countries and cultures, the delegates also learn teamwork and leadership skills. As a result of RYLA, many participants become active in other Rotary programs such as INTERACT and YOUTH EXCHANGE.

Thi year's delegates are Leslie Malay and Theresa Shilosky.

Youth Exchange: Gregg Staples - Chair

The club hosts a high school age male or female student from other countries to live and study in our community. In exchange, our District will be invited to send a high school aged individual to other lands. In the past, our club has hosted students from Australia, Brazil, Germany, Thailand, and France. This year our student is a young woman from Ecuador; Cecilia Villacis. She will be staying with several families in Lake Havasu during her year here. This helps to create goodwill and better understanding of different cultures both for the exchange student and the families she stays with.